Flower baskets will return to some city streets next month
Published 6:42 am Monday, March 3, 2008
After five years locked away in a storage area of city hall, Mill Creek’s flower baskets will return to some local light posts.
A partnership between the city and the Mill Creek Community Association will bring the baskets out of storage and onto light poles along Village Green Drive and Mill Creek Boulevard, within the boundaries of the community association.
The City Council approved letting the community association use approximately 50 baskets by a 6-0 margin March 22. Mayor Terry Ryan was absent from the meeting.
“We’re very excited,” said Mary Ann Baggenstos, executive administrator for the Mill Creek Community Association. “There’s been so much positive support for this. It’ll be a real nice asset to the community.”
The baskets disappeared from city light poles after funding for them was eliminated during budget cuts in November of 1999. The budget cuts, which totalled approximately $400,000, were needed after voters approved Initiative 695, which eliminated the Motor Vehicle Excise Tax, a significant source of state funding to cities.
Baggenstos said she hopes the baskets will be back on city streets by mid-May.
“We have to plant them and then grow them,” she said.
The proposal was brought before the City Council at its Feb. 1 study session. At that time, there was no Council opposition to the plan, but some members expressed concerns about liability.
“We looked into a couple of issues in terms of liability, especially with a private company using public materials on public property, and everything looks OK,” said assistant city engineer Scott Smith.
The idea of bringing back the baskets, Baggenstos said, came from Vicki Wellman, the community association board’s secretary.
The deal between the city and the community association calls for the association to do all maintenance on the baskets. The city, meanwhile, will provide installation help and the baskets and mounting brackets.
Amsberry Nursery is working with the association to provide flowers for the baskets, which will be designed to have a mix of different colored flowers.
